What are the best siderates to use after cabbage in the fall
Sowing the seeds is not enough to grow cabbage. This culture is capricious, loves light soil and a nutrient medium. Regular feeding throughout the cabbage ripening will ensure a good harvest, and siderates will help improve the quality of the soil. What it is and which ones are better to use after cabbage, we will consider in detail later in the text.
The content of the article
What are siderates
Siderata are certain plants that saturate the soil with nutrients.... This concept appeared at the end of the 19th century; the first to speak about him was the French scientist-botanist J. Ville.
Interesting! The concept itself appeared in the 19th century, but farmers used this property of some plants long before that.
Scientists are confident that the use of green parts of plants for soil nutrition is in no way inferior to the application of fertilizers in the form of manure... Initially, the green part of the plants was plucked and dug up from the ground. Now this process has been simplified and plowing is carried out without pulling out the vegetative mass.
What are they needed for
You should understand what plants do and what benefits they bring:
- maintain normal temperature, humidity and protect the earth from drying out;
- prevent the destruction of the humus layer, the formation of erosion and dry crust;
- make the structure of the soil loose and breathable, facilitating the passage of water;
- saturate with organic components;
- increase the growth of beneficial bacteria and relieve soil "fatigue";
- reduce acidity indicators;
- reduce the number of weeds, reduce the likelihood of pests;
- The highly branched root system of plants "pulls" mineral substances from the deep layers of the soil, raising them to the surface.
Thanks to green manure plants, it is possible to improve the soil, give it friability and saturate it with microelements from deep layers. The need to apply chemicals is reduced and the quality of the crop improves.
Advantages and disadvantages of using green manure
In addition to the great benefits for the soil, siderates have other positive qualities:
- they are cheap;
- natural and safe for animals and humans, as well as beneficial microorganisms;
- overdose is impossible.
Despite the abundance of positive qualities, there are, albeit minor, but disadvantages... These include high labor intensity. Also, while growing with garden plants, siderates will compete for a place in the sun.
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The best siderates for cabbage in autumn
If you plan to sow cabbage in the spring, you should choose such siderates that will bring benefit of this particular garden culture.
Interesting! More than 300 plants are considered siderata, but there are the most popular ones. Also, different ones will be useful for different garden crops.
Beans
It is this plant that saturates the soil with nitrogen and retains it in it.... Beans lighten the soil and improve its texture. It should be noted that the seeds of this plant are expensive, therefore it is important to assess the feasibility of such agricultural technology. Other options may be worth considering.
Clover
A perennial green plant has small tubers on its roots that contain bacteria... Thanks to this property, a special, unique effect on the soil is obtained. The plant increases the content of organic matter in the earth and saturates it with nitrogen. Clover protects the earth from erosion.
Seeds are sown in the ground in late summer or early autumn... Dig up the soil before flowering. You can rip off the green mass and mulch the surface of the earth, such an application will also give a good result.
Alfalfa
An unpretentious plant that also enriches the soil with substances useful for cabbage... Sow about 2 kg of seeds per one hundred square meters of land. Depending on the condition of the soil, the amount may vary at the discretion of the gardener.
Rye
This green manure does not so much provide the earth with minerals and vitamins for cabbage as it protects from the growth of various weeds. Growing rye in cabbage aisles is the most efficient solution. The amount of time for caring for a cabbage bed is reduced to a minimum.
Cobbler and others
Another leguminous crop is the comic plant. Its seeds are also expensive, but the benefits are obvious.... A large amount of greenery brings undoubted benefits to the soil and future cabbage, but it should be borne in mind that this plant is whimsical and does not grow in every area.
Lupine is a good green manure for cabbage... The plant itself is very rich in minerals, which is undoubtedly beneficial for the soil. The seeds are cheap, grows quickly and are completely unpretentious. Lupine can change the acidity of the soil and normalize the pH level.
Sweet clover is suitable for high acidity soil... It reduces the likelihood of pests and reduces the number of weeds.
Phacelia is unpretentious, grows quickly and deacidifies the soil... There is a high probability that after this green manure the cabbage will not get sick with anything.
Reference. There are a number of other plants that are used much less frequently. Many of them are soil selective or seeds are not available in our country.
The best siderates after cabbage in the fall
After growing cabbage, the earth needs to recover, which means that other plants need to be planted... These green manure should not be planted before the cabbage, and after that it’s just about time. They will help the earth to receive what was depleted during the growth of the main crop.
Mustard
White mustard is sown in early autumn. She does not allow nitrogen to evaporate, feeds the earth... A positive quality of a plant is its rapid growth and resistance to cold. Do not use on acidic soil or wetlands.
Rape
The culture is demanding on the composition of the soil, most of all it does not tolerate high humidity... Sowing is best at the end of summer. It takes about 60 days for rapeseed to grow. This culture requires care and does not tolerate frost and sudden changes in temperature.
Winter rye
One of the best siderates after cabbage - winter rye. Sown after harvest, it has time to gain green mass before frost. Easily enduring winter, it continues to grow in spring. The plant is not demanding either to the composition of the soil or to care. The only drawback is that it cannot retain nitrogen in the soil.
Buckwheat
This green manure should not be sown for the winter. – buckwheat needs about three months, before winter it will not have time to build up the green mass. The sprouts are buried in the ground when flowering begins. Buckwheat is undemanding to the composition of the soil. Capable of converting phosphorus into an accessible form for other crops. Buckwheat seeds are hard to come by.
Oil radish and others
The cruciferous plant is sown at the end of August... It helps a lot on heavy soils, making them lighter. Seeds are needed a little, grows quickly and is not afraid of frost. Close up in the ground before flowering.
Mouse peas saturates the soil with nitrogen and organic matter, prevents weeds from growing. But this type of green manure is capricious, does not like dryness and prefers slightly acidic soils. Helps get rid of snails and slugs.
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What siderates should not be sown before and after cabbage
To get a good harvest of cabbage, you should remember about the rules of crop rotation.... This also applies to Siderates. Since cabbage belongs to the cruciferous family, you should not use green manures of the same family before planting.
You should also consider some features of plants.... For example, rye dries up the soil, but cabbage does not like this at all. For cabbage, you should choose such green manures that will enrich the soil with nitrogen.
Interesting! Gardeners often use a mixture of several green manures. Phacelia with melilot and a bruise is considered one of the most popular formulations. Donnik take two parts, and the rest - one at a time.
Cabbage greatly depletes the soil, therefore, after it, it is imperative to sow such plants that will restore the soil. Mouse peas in combination with oats will help a lot in this.
When to sow green manure
Sow siderates after harvest... In most cases, this is done in late August - early September. It is necessary to choose such plants that will have time to build up the green mass before frost, in order to have time to embed them in the soil.
When the snow melts, it is good to plant phacelia, which will develop well before the cabbage is planted in the garden... It is best if the plants grow at the same time. Phacelia is cut in mid-May and laid along the cabbage beds, creating mulch.
After that, it is useful to plant marigolds in the aisles, which will scare off pests... Often summer residents use calendula or other plants with a specific aroma.
Reference. If cabbage is planted directly into growing green manure, it will hurt less, form larger leaves and grow faster.
Sowing rules
It is important to know the rules for sowing green manure and vegetable crops. The most important among them:
- plants of the same family have similar diseases, which means that they should not be sown one after another;
- it is necessary to embed green manure in the ground before flowering, otherwise they will turn into weeds and harm garden plants;
- you should not bury green manure very carefully, this violates the porosity of the earth, for which they are planted.
Most true cut green manure at the root and embed it shallowly or even use it in the form of mulch.
Conclusion
For cabbage, the presence of siderates is mandatory, since this culture is capricious and demanding. It is important to observe the conditions of crop rotation and use only those plants that will bring more benefits, saturate the soil with nitrogen and reduce acidity. With the right approach, the cabbage harvest will delight, it is important not to forget to improve the soil after harvesting.